The Truth about California from a former west coast Girl... (Los Angeles: employment, buying)

[skyway31]

Originally Posted by mysticaltyger

Thank you for saying this about the smog. I can't believe anyone in SoCal would try to say the pollution there has no adverse health effects. I live in the Bay Area but have been to SoCal enough to see the pollution. I'm sure the smog is not as bad as it used to be, but they've got a looong way to go before the air quality there is decent.

So, you're going to disregard what the scientists that measure air quality have to say? When they report that air quality in the overwhelming majority of the area is Good or moderate, you're going to disregard that? My source is the South Coast Ar Quality Management District. What is your source??????

http://www.aqmd.gov/

[skyway31]

Originally Posted by mysticaltyger

It's true. But the air quality in most parts of SoCal (especially Los Angeles and Orange Counties) is still really lousy, except for maybe San Diego (only moderately bad) and Ventura County northward (relatively clean).

See the post above. You're statement is without backing. Ironically, San Diego tends to have a little lower air quality than coastal L.A. or OC.

[pecosbill]

Originally Posted by skyway31

See the post above. You're statement is without backing. Ironically, San Diego tends to have a little lower air quality than coastal L.A. or OC.

Very true just run Orange county Vs San diego county outdoor activity on http://www.epa.gov/aircompare/ web site and here is the results

To be honest I would have believed that san diego was better than Orange but I guess no...

Orange countly ahve nothing to be proud off but this is not the worth as depicted in the forum.
Pecosbill

[skyway31]

Yup. And it should be said that SD is just fine as far as air quality and you're health go. It's not like it's a health risk living in SD lol. The worst area for air quality in SoCal is not-so-coincidentally the areas where the malcontents lived. It's distinctively worse there than anywhere else in the region.

[skyway31]

Oh, and one other thing:
Be careful with the county compare thing on sites like that. Air quality can vary greatly in different parts of a county. Commerce and Hermosa Beacha are both in L.A. county, yet there is a HUGE difference in air quality. Same goes for comparing, say, Placentia with Dana Point in OC.

And when it shows number of "unhealthful" days, that does NOT mean the entire county had what was declared an unhealthful day. All it means is one part-no matter how small-was declared unhealthful. It's likely Newport Beach had zero unhealthful days caused by smog. Maybe when there were fires there might have been a day or two. But, fires have caused unhealthful air quality days in a lot of states.

[Scott5280]

Living in Newport Beach was an absolute joy as far as air quality goes. I used to jog,bike along Crystal Cove routinely..seemed pretty clean to me.It really does depend on where in the county the readings are taken. If I was ever to return to So.Cal for an extended amount of time, it would have to be on the coast. California to me of course has bigger problems at the moment,but I have friends that still absolutely love it there,and work hard to better their personal reality instead of embracing the bitter pills spewed about by others around them. I personally believe that OC. lifestyle has been severely compromised within recent years, but maybe that's just a needed wake up call for people to get back to basics and reinvent that beautiful area.

[pinkgonegreen]

As a member of the SCAQMD, I have to tell you that you're looking at a very generalized color chart...simplified for simple minds...green is good, red is bad...the truth is not as black & white as we try to make it for non-scientific community members to understand!

Originally Posted by skyway31

So, you're going to disregard what the scientists that measure air quality have to say? When they report that air quality in the overwhelming majority of the area is Good or moderate, you're going to disregard that? My source is the South Coast Ar Quality Management District. What is your source??????

South Coast AQMD

[sunnysideoflife]

This post seems to have so much controversy, and I think that it is because some people are stating their opinions as facts.

In my opinion, it's perfectly fine to say "I don't like the crowds" or "I think the prices are too expensive" or "the weather is too hot for me" or "This area is not scenic" or "it's the most beautiful area in the country." All of those statements are opinions. It's also fine to say that the area you lived in had crime, or your quality of life (based upon your personal criteria) was good or bad in a certain area / city.

It's quite another thing to make broad (and sometimes inaccurate) statements about Orange County crime, weather, pollution, population density etc. based only on your personal experience or anecdotal evidence. If everyone on this forum who has such strong opinions about Orange County would recognize (as some have) what is their own opinion or experience vs. what is a statement supportable by reliable data, I think there would be a lot less angry people on this thread.

Also in my opinion, if your individual opinion isn't corroborated by supporting facts, that's ok. I don't think it's a stretch to believe your experience would be different than what the data might indicate (for a number of reasons.) However, if your opinion doesn't match up with the data, there is probably a reason and you should *probably* avoid implying that it's reasonable for most others to expect to have the same experience you had. That would *probably* go a long way towards avoiding an argument.

This is a general comment, not aimed at anyone in particular.

[thepinksquid]

I will say that when you look at Orange County, there is a *huge* difference with areas. For example, look at Santa Ana vs. Newport Beach vs. Modjeska. It's difficult to lump every place within the county into one stereotype.

[skyway31]

Originally Posted by sunnysideoflife

This post seems to have so much controversy, and I think that it is because some people are stating their opinions as facts.

In my opinion, it's perfectly fine to say "I don't like the crowds" or "I think the prices are too expensive" or "the weather is too hot for me" or "This area is not scenic" or "it's the most beautiful area in the country." All of those statements are opinions. It's also fine to say that the area you lived in had crime, or your quality of life (based upon your personal criteria) was good or bad in a certain area / city.

It's quite another thing to make broad (and sometimes inaccurate) statements about Orange County crime, weather, pollution, population density etc. based only on your personal experience or anecdotal evidence. If everyone on this forum who has such strong opinions about Orange County would recognize (as some have) what is their own opinion or experience vs. what is a statement supportable by reliable data, I think there would be a lot less angry people on this thread.

Also in my opinion, if your individual opinion isn't corroborated by supporting facts, that's ok. I don't think it's a stretch to believe your experience would be different than what the data might indicate (for a number of reasons.) However, if your opinion doesn't match up with the data, there is probably a reason and you should *probably* avoid implying that it's reasonable for most others to expect to have the same experience you had. That would *probably* go a long way towards avoiding an argument.

This is a general comment, not aimed at anyone in particular.

IMO this is a very good post. I agree completely.